When Ritchie and Joey came back into the house, Maria had the orange juice out and was opening a bottle of champagne.

"Someone's feeling festive," Ritchie said, grinning at her as he walked into the kitchen to help Joey drag out the platters and bowls of food Jillian had left in the fridge. Ritchie and Joey loaded up the table. Ritchie felt his stomach rumble as he sat down in front of the spread of bagels, smoked salmon, cream cheese, chopped onions and tomatoes, capers, and a variety of cold salads, fruits and pies. And, of course, Maria's homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Maria poured mimosas for herself and Ritchie and topped off Joey's orange juice with ginger ale, raising her glass in a toast.

"To the best Christmas ever!" Joey broke in before she could speak.

"I'll second that," Ritchie said, sending Maria a look that made her blush all over again. He loved watching the slight flush on her skin and knowing that wanting him was what put it there. He was already thinking of ideas to occupy Joey after they spent some time on the water later that afternoon. He had a sudden image of Maria lying across his bed wearing nothing but the pearl earrings, smiling up at him, and he wanted to make that image a reality as soon as possible.

"I can't remember when I've had a more memorable Christmas," Ritchie said.

"Now I have news that makes it even better," Maria said, her face lighting up with excitement.

Maria took a long breath and let it out slowly. "Vivienne called to say that a local developer is interested in commissioning some of my paintings for a condo building downtown!"

One look at her face and Ritchie knew the phone call he'd made to an acquaintance on the Arts and Business Council had been well worth it.

"What do you mean?" Joey asked.

"It means," Ritchie said, "that your sister's paintings are going to be hanging in the lobby and new condos that are up for sale in a fancy building downtown."

"You've heard about this kind of thing?"

More than she realized. But Ritchie was keeping that bit of information to himself. "There's been a long time marriage between real estate and art for high-end Miami development. I think extending it to some of the more mid-priced condo buildings is new."

"I'm just so excited! I don't know how this developer even found out about me. I guess Vivienne must know someone who had a connection."

Ritchie had a pretty good idea that Maria wouldn't appreciate knowing that he'd made a few phone calls on her behalf. It was a good idea. His visit to Vivienne's studio had made him think about it in the first place. But that didn't mean he was interfering. However, considering the way Maria balked when he tried to get her to cut back on working so hard, and her continued insistence that she contribute financially toward hers and Joey's living expenses, he didn't want to take any chances on what her reaction would be if she found out he had anything to do with this opportunity coming her way.

"Well," Ritchie said, raising his glass, "however it happened, congratulations."

"The only problem," Maria said, frowning, "is that the turnaround time is really fast." She spread cream cheese on a bagel and then added small amounts of the other toppings.

"You have a number of pieces done already, don't you?" Ritchie asked, thinking about the canvasses he'd seen leaning against the wall at Vivienne's studio.

She nodded. "Not enough, though. Vivienne will give me time off to pull everything together, but this time of year is when things really pick up at the restaurant."

Joey looked from one to the other. "So why don't you just quit?"

"It's called making a living," Maria said, and Joey shrugged.

"What's the big deal? Ritchie will take care of us."

"I take care of us," Maria said, turning toward Ritchie. "It's not that I don't appreciate everything you do for us, but it's really important for me to make my own way."

Ritchie took a deep breath and spoke evenly.

"It seems to me that if you're focusing on the future for you and Joey, meeting the deadline for the developer would be a lot more productive in the long run than holding onto a job waiting tables. Do you understand what an opportunity like this really means?"

"I'm not stupid. Of course, I know what it means. I also know that plenty of people have thrown away their future by giving up a secure job to take a risk on something that might not even work out."

That's what it was really about. Taking risks.

Ritchie leaned back in his chair. "You're afraid."

"Well, of course I am. There's no guarantee that they'll buy any specific number of my pieces, or that the condo buyers are going to – "

"No, that's not what I mean. You're afraid your work isn't good enough." When she didn't answer, he continued. "Because there's no risk when it's all hidden away in the upstairs loft at Vivienne's studio. You can tell yourself you don't have the time to follow your dream of being an artist. When maybe the truth is, you're just too scared to take the leap."

Maria stood up, her face flushed.

"How can you say that? That's not true at all. For years, I've done everything I can to provide a safe, secure life for Joey and me, to keep food on the table, to pay the rent. The only reason I've put off seriously pursuing my art is because we needed to have that security."

"So prove it."

"What?"

"Prove it, Maria. If you think you're good enough to make it as an artist, take your shot. You're not going to get another opportunity like this." He picked up a half bagel and spread cream cheese on it while she stood there, fuming. "Or you can stop pretending to be an artist and just be a waitress the rest of your life."

"No way," Joey said. "Tell him, Maria. Tell him you're going to quit the job at the restaurant. You're an artist."

"It's not like it's one or the other," Maria said. "If I hold onto my job while I see how this opportunity works out – "

"You'll end up getting no sleep and spending all your spare time at Vivienne's studio, instead of . . ." Instead of with me, he almost said. Christ, what was wrong with him? "Instead of with Joey," he finished. "Is that what you want?"

"No," she said, slowly settling back down into her chair. "You might be right. If this is my shot, I should probably take it, no holds barred."

"Way to go, Sis!" Joey reached over to give Maria a high five, and she smiled at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Ritchie realized she was very worried about what was going to happen next.

* * *

Ever since they got back from Bimini, Maria felt like she was living in a fairy tale. Never more so than tonight, sitting in the back of the sleek limo with Ritchie, wearing a gown that had cost more than she'd earned at the restaurant in three months. Quitting her job there had been a big step. But now that it was done, there was no turning back.

When she was with Ritchie, everything was so easy. It was only when she was away from him that the doubts took over. What was she thinking? Tito still refused to even consider the possibility of staying in Miami, and really, how did she think that would work even if he did? Did she really think she'd be spending cozy family holidays sitting around the dining room table with her brother the ex-con and the man who put him away for eight long years?

But Tito was the other half of her soul. Allowing him to just leave the state and slip out of their lives was something she couldn't even imagine. When the time came, and she had to choose between Ritchie and Tito, there was only one decision she could make. Tito deserved a fresh start, away from Miami. He also deserved to have his family there with him, even if he didn't realize it yet. If Maria's art career was going to happen, she could paint anywhere. And if not, well, she certainly could get a job as a waitress anywhere. Still, a little voice inside her whispered that maybe tomorrow when she visited Tito and told him about the success she'd finally achieved with her art, and the pride she had felt putting one of her own paintings in the silent auction tonight, just maybe he would change his mind and decide to stay. She wanted to be there for Tito, whatever his plans were. But she also wanted to build on the great start Joey had made in his new school, with his new friends. And she wanted, oh so much, to stay here in Miami with Ritchie. Maybe she just wanted the impossible.

The limo pulled up to the curb, and the driver opened the door for her, taking her hand and helping her out. People were snapping photographs, hoping for a glimpse of Miami's elite. She hesitated then felt Ritchie move behind her, slipping his arm around her waist, guiding her through the crowd and into the ballroom.

Like Vivienne, Maria had donated a piece of artwork for the auction. While Vivienne's donation was a coup for the event, she knew very well that the reason Ritchie had asked for her donation was to advance her own career. The kind of publicity she was receiving at being a featured artist was invaluable and would boost the developer who was showcasing her art in his new construction. She just hoped she wouldn't be totally humiliated by a lack of bids on her painting – and shuddered at the thought that Ritchie might actually have to buy it himself to save her the embarrassment.

They stopped abruptly, and she realized they were standing in front of her painting. She looked down at the silent auction sheet and gasped when she saw the numbers. The painting was one of her favorites, of a sleek sailboat cutting across Biscayne Bay. She'd sat by the water with her sketchbook one crisp clear day a year ago and had made dozens of sketches until she got it just right. She'd frozen the image in her mind in vivid color. The exact shade of the sky. The clear surface of the water and the boat that cut through it. The wind in its sails. The bright splash of red on the bow –the jacket of the man who sailed it. Then she'd brought it to life back in Vivienne's studio.

She turned to Ritchie, suddenly suspicious. "Those aren't all your bidding numbers, are they?"

He laughed. "No, but I bet– " He stopped talking as his partner Jonathon came up behind them.

"Not trying to outbid me, are you, buddy?"

Ritchie slapped him on the back. "I wouldn't think of it."

Jonathon turned to Maria. "When Ritchie mentioned this painting, I knew I had to have it."

"If I'd known you were interested, I could have sold it to you separately and donated something else to the auction. I'm afraid you'll end up paying a lot more for it here."

"Oh, he can afford it," Ritchie said. "And it's for a good cause."

Jonathon smiled. "I'm sure you encouraged Maria to donate this particular piece. You knew I'd pay whatever it took to have it hanging on my wall."

"What are friends for?" Ritchie said, grinning.

Jonathon leaned over, studied the bid sheet, then entered a bid number that had appeared several times before. "Time to get serious," he said and added a dollar amount that upped the bid by an additional decimal point, winked at her, and strolled off.

"That's fifteen thousand dollars," Maria said in a hushed voice. "Why is he doing this?"

She'd expected that Ritchie might try to overbid on her painting just to make her look good, but why was Jonathon paying that much?

"You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"Don't worry, he's happy to make a charity purchase tonight for something he actually wants. People will be paying ridiculous amounts of money tonight for things of little or no value. Your painting – and the sculpture Vivienne donated, of course – will be the exception to that."

"Thank you for including me, darling." Vivienne put her hand on Ritchie's shoulder briefly then turned and embraced Maria.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming? You hate these things." Vivienne might be generous with her donations, but she was anything but generous with her time. Especially at society functions she considered both pretentious and frivolous.

"And miss seeing one of your paintings on display for the first time? How could I do that?"

Maria noticed Vivienne glancing over surreptitiously at the bid sheet and nodding in satisfaction, and the realization dawned.

"You came here to make sure there were enough bids," Maria accused. "And if there weren't, you'd have placed one yourself."

"Nonsense," Vivienne scoffed, but her eyes twinkled. "I'm here to embarrass all the self-proclaimed art patrons into donating a respectable sum to acquire my sculpture."

"Where are you sitting?"

"At your table, of course. Where else would I be?"

As they walked back to the table, Maria was surprised to pass by Jonathon and his date – a local socialite who had recently become famous for her appearance on a reality show.

"Are they a couple?" she whispered to Ritchie.

"Doubt it," Ritchie said. "Jonathon dates someone new about every week. Ever since he got on that most eligible bachelor list . . ."

"Well, you should be on that list," Maria said, and then blushed when she realized he probably was on the list.

"That's just what my mom says," Ritchie whispered, his lips grazing her earlobe, sending shivers through her whole body.

"Why aren't Jonathon and his date at our table?"

"We try to spread it around a little, as sponsors. Especially since Sam and Camilla opted out of attending."

Maria had been glad to hear that. Not that she didn't trust Joey these days, but still, she'd asked him to check in with Sam and Camilla every so often, since it was unusual for her and Ritchie to leave him at home, unsupervised. Joey had balked when she'd suggested he go over to Sam and Camilla's for the evening, insisting he just wanted to play some video games and watch a series on Netflix that everybody at school had been talking about.

Maria let herself relax and just enjoy the event. The drinks were flowing, the food was exquisite, and she'd never seen anyone look as good in a tux as Ritchie did. When Vivienne's sculpture broke the record for the highest bid during the live auction, Maria thought there couldn't be a more perfect evening. And when Ritchie slipped his hand under the table and stroked the side of her leg, she realized it was actually going to get better when they got back in the limo.

Everything ahead of her was so bright. If she could be successful as an artist, then maybe she could make a real difference in Tito's life when he was finally released in a few months. She allowed herself to think for the first time that there might actually be a future for her and Ritchie.

After the silent auction closed, she walked over with Ritchie to congratulate Jonathon. A distinguished looking man was sitting at Jonathon's table beside a thin expensively dressed woman Maria recognized from the society pages as his wife. She felt the color drain from her face, and she forced herself to smile while Ritchie congratulated Jonathon on his winning bid. 

Author's Note:

Oh no! Looks like something has upset Maria - and just when things were going so well!